No Matter What
by HonBuns
Summary: Another fluffy WildeHopps story this time with a little bit of drama. This story is about a blossoming relationship and how it might be affected when life gets in the way.
1. Chapter 1

Judy Hopps was sitting at her desk in her small apartment with her phone held in front of her while she was talking with Fru Fru, her arctic shrew friend, who was looking back at her from her screen with her baby on her arms. Judy hadn't been able to make her weekly visit to her friend and goddaughter, who was almost one, due to a very busy day at work. They had been video-chatting for a while and suddenly went quiet for a few seconds, then Judy saw the expression of the shrew change into a smirk.

"So, Judes," said the smaller mammal who used the appellation to differentiate the bunny from her daughter. "How's work? Any interesting news?"

Judy knew her tiny friend didn't really care about work (she was the daughter of a mobster criminal after all) and was moving the conversation in a direction the rabbit didn't feel comfortable discussing.

"Very boring actually," she lied hopping they could talk about something else. "Nothing new, really."

"Oh! C'mon, Judes. You know what I mean!" begged Fru Fru. "Did you tell him yet?"

"No," Judy sighed. "But I will. Someday. I'm just trying to find the right moment."

"Don't be scared, girl." Her friend encouraged. "That fox likes you. I can tell. He is just too dumb to make the first move."

Judy just chuckled. No arguing with that.

"I _am _scared, Fru," she confessed with a sigh focusing her eyes on her desk. "First: I haven't dated anyone since I got into the ZPA and second: If he doesn't feel the same way, I know things will get awkward."

"Well, then think about it, Judes," her friend advised while handing a toy to her daughter who was fidgeting on her lap. "This feelings are eating you inside and if you just ignore them then can affect you."

Eventually the conversation did move to other less complicated topics until the friends said goodbye to each other. Judy sent a kiss to her namesake and ended the video call.

Judy looked out her apartment only window and stared at the city for a while. It was dusk and the sky was morphing into a different color. Night blue encompassed most the atmosphere except for a light blue at the bottom of the chamber and all sort of colors in between.

It was the time of the day in which the buildings and streets would come to life with artificial lights. Judy had come to appreciate the looks of this.

At first she found it difficult to sleep with all the light and noise coming from her window, not to mention the annoying sounds of her neighbors, whether they came from next door, down or up her place, there was always someone making loud noises and disturbing her.

She missed the starry night skies of her hometown and the breeze that flows freely in the open spaces of her parent's farm which is always accompanied by an almost absolute silence and the fresh scent of the fields.

Still, with time, she couldn't deny the beauty of Zootopia at night. She kept a special place in her heart for Bunny Burrow but it didn't mean she didn't like the city.

The gray rabbit would often take walks around town, especially at night. It was a great way to sort her thoughts, especially when she and her partner were working on a difficult case and she just needed to clear her mind for a while.

She grabbed her jacket and headed out of her apartment. She needed that clarity of mind that only walking alone around the city could give her. The only difference is that her thoughts would not be directed at a case from work but rather at a particular orange-furred mammal.

A few days later…

A group of police officers were gathered around at the enormous precinct break room to celebrate the birthday of a very beloved member of the force: Benjamin Clawhauser.

Nick Wilde was leaning against the old kitchenette that was barely used by anyone there, watching amused at how the chubby cheetah squealed every time he opened a present. So far he had received donuts and gift cards that he could exchange for even more donuts. Judy was standing next to Nick looking excited and a little nervous.

"Ok! Ok! This last one is from…" said Clawhauser excitedly while turning the card on the present. "Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde."

"I hope he likes it." Judy whispered to Nick while chewing at her nail.

"Of course he will." Assured Nick, watching how the cheetah unwrapped their gift.

"O-M-Goodness!" Benjamin Clawhauser ran (surprisingly slow for a cheetah) and lifted both the bunny and the fox in a tight hug while holding Gazelle's new album in his paw. "You guys know me so well!"

Nick and Judy looked at each other from across the chubby feline. The fox winked at her in an "I told you so" kind of way and Judy's grin got wider.

After opening all of his presents, Clawhauser thanked everyone and announced that he would be continuing to celebrate his birthday at a bar after work. He gave the details and directions and everyone left the room to continue with their shifts before Bogo could protest.

At the end of their shift, Judy was driving towards the precinct to return the patrol car. Nick sat next to her on the passenger seat, looking out the window with a relaxed expression that was usual for the todd to wear at this time of the day.

"Are you going to join Clawhauser and the other guys tonight, Slick?" Judy asked curiously while entering the precinct's garage.

"Yeah, I think it might be a good idea," answered Nick. "But only if you go too."

This was no surprise to Judy. Even when everyone at the precinct liked Nick, he still wasn't a very social mammal and always preferred to attend meetings outside work with her. Judy didn't mind though.

They got out of the car and the rabbit approached him. "Yes, I was planning on going. I'll meet you there later?" She asked smiling and when Nick agreed, she left.

Nick stood there for a moment watching his friend disappear in the distance. A sight escaped his muzzle when he was not able to see her anymore.

At her apartment, Judy took a quick shower and put on casual clothes. She opted for a white top, light jeans and a black jacket. It was simple but she liked the way this particular pair of jeans fitted her figure and the top and jacket went really well together.

Her makeup was very basic and natural. Judy didn't wear makeup for work so she wasn't used to it anymore, but she figured tonight was worth it, she just needed to be careful not to smudge it. She used a special product to make her fur glow and at the end Judy was very satisfied with her assemble.

The bar wasn't that far so she decided to walk there using the time to think about her previous conversation with Fru Fru. She felt very confident today, if she got a shot, she would take it and talk to Nick.

When she arrived at the bar, her friends greeted her warmly. She noticed Nick was already there looking at her from across the table with a very strange look on his face that she could not figure out.

"Looking good, Hopps!" said her friend and coworker Wolford in a flirty/joking kind of way with a very _wolfish _look.

Judy just smiled coquettishly at him and then rolled her eyes to shrugged him off.

The rabbit went to sit next to her fox friend. Being the establishment thought for large mammals, they shared a chair just like they did at work. Judy looked at Nick, who in her opinion looked hot, wearing dark jeans and a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He was looking at Wolford, his expression was somewhat annoyed for a few moments, but then he greeted her and was back to his normal self.

The rest of the night went smoothly. Everyone's favorite part was to watch Clawhauser get wasted and take over the karaoke machine that was supposed to be for all clients to enjoy. Even when he asked someone to join him for a song, he still would not let go of the microphone and sang with all his might.

When the cheetah was not able to stand still, Wolford and Fangmeyer decided to take him home. This was cue for everyone else to pay the bill and go.

Nick helped Judy to come down the big chair and offered to walk her home since it was very late and according to him there were many dangers that "a cute tipsy little bunny" could not even imagine. That remark costed him a jab on his arm.

The street was far from dangerous. There were still mammals walking down the big boulevards entering and exiting the businesses that still offered services in the wee hours. However, Nick either didn't notice or pretended not to notice and still accompanied Judy.

Even when the sidewalk was wide, they were walking close to each other with their arms almost touching.

Inside the doe's head, thoughts twirled around.

_Just tell him. You won't get a better chance that this one._

Judy looked at the sky, which was pitch black, a gesture that automatically limped her mind. She sighed silently and looked at the fox, who was walking with his paws inside his pockets looking absently ahead of him.

"A rabbit and a fox, _hik_. Love _really _is blind."

Both of them stopped and turned to see a drunk hippo hiccuping and smiling at them for a few seconds before his partner took his arm and prompted him to keep walking. Giving the smaller mammals an apologetic look.

Although the comment was not meant as a insult, it did created an awkward atmosphere for the off-duty officers.

They looked at each other and Judy gave Nick a sheepish smile. She thought she would use the moment to bring up the subject inside her head but she hesitated when she saw Nick laughing lightly at the direction of the drunken hippo.

"Ah, the things wasted mammals say!" he mused with her paws on his hips. "As if a rabbit and a fox…"

Now Judy couldn't help but feel a little insulted and hurt at his friend's comment. She crossed her arms in front of her and looked directly at the fox.

"Would it really be that bad?" Her tone was more severe than what she had intended.

This caught Nick completely off guard. "Well… not bad, just…" He shrugged his shoulders as if it was obvious that the idea was ridiculous.

"Just what?" she demanded taking a step forward.

"I just don't think a rabbit would like a fox, you know, _that _way…" he babbled. "I mean, not that is impossible, of course it could happen. I mean, I don't know if it has happened to anyone. It hasn't happened to anyone _I_ know. Sounds ridiculous if you ask me… I mean, right?"

Judy's anger faded at hearing his usually well-spoken friend talk incoherently. She just chuckled and motioned him to continue walking which the fox took as a signal to stop talking.

They spent the rest of their walk in silence until they reached Judy's building. The rabbit stopped at the foot of the stairs that lead to the front door.

"Thank you for walking me home," she said with a small smile.

"It's nothing," Nick shrugged. "See you tomorrow, Carrots. Sleep tight."

The bunny offered him a smile, wished him good night and started going up the stairs. When she got her door open she turned around to see the fox.

"For the record," she said looking at him with sultry eyes. "I don't think, it sounds ridiculous."

And she disappeared behind the door leaving a very startled Nicholas Wilde standing there.


	2. Chapter 2

"It counts!" came the indignant voice of Judy Hopps. "You should've seen me, I couldn't have been more obvious."

Judy had been telling the events of the previous night to Fru Fru. It was the bunny's day off and the two friends and baby Judy were having brunch at a pretty nice restaurant since the rabbit wanted to compensate for not visiting them during the week.

Judy was holding her tiny goddaughter on one paw while using the other one to eat. The almost one year old had already finished eating her smashed food and was just playing with a little plushy that was given to her by Judy and was totally unaware of the conversation the two adults were having.

"You might think you were obvious," returned Fru Fru. "But for all we know he probably thinks you were just teasing him."

She considered this for a moment.

"I hate to admit it but you're right," Judy admitted in defeat putting the baby shrew in her baby seat. "I should've been more direct."

"No worries, Judes," said the shrew. "You are already on the right track. You changed your behavior, you're being flirtatious and challenging. You," continued Fru Fru pointing a fork at the bunny. "Got him to look at you in a different way. Let's wait to find out if anything got into that thick skull of his."

"Yeah," said Judy. "Now can we please talk about something else?"

"Judes, I'm married and I'm a mom. Let me live through you." joked her friend after sipping at her mimosa. "You know what would be fantastic?"

Judy saw an impish spark in her friends eyes.

"What?" she went along.

"If you could hurry up and date your dumb fox, then get married and have kits right away so the age difference with my little Judy would not be so big and they could be friends and hang out together!"

Judy almost spit out her mimosa trying hard not to laugh at her friend's comment.

"Scratch out the getting married part," continued joking Fru Fru. "That takes time to plan. Just focus on the baby making part."

"You're crazy," said Judy after composing herself a little.

"You know it's possible, right?" said the shrew and then after seeing the confused face of her friend continued. "Having a baby with a different species. My lawyer is a squirrel and her husband a raccoon and they had a baby that was the perfect blend of them both. Of course they had to go to a doctor and go through a special treatment of something like that. But it happened and it can happen to you too."

"I'm just going to focus on getting me a date. Thank you very much." said the rabbit between chuckles.

They continued eating and joking until a massive polar bear, who Judy recognized as one of the bodyguards working for Mr. Big, took the two shrews inside a big limo and took off. Judy had accompanied them outside the restaurant and was now standing on the sidewalk thinking about what to do.

When she got her cellphone out, she noticed she had a message from Nick from a few minutes ago.

_Hey, can I drop by your place today? Let me know if or when you're free._

It was a very simple text and not so unusual. Judy and Nick had the same schedule and more than often they spent their free time together. Still, this text seemed different. It didn't convey the casualness of others like "Wanna watch a movie?" or "I'm hungry. You're up for some breakfast?", it was definitely odd and Judy had an idea why.

She gulped and replied quickly. Nick was already aware that she had plans with Fru Fru so she didn't have to explain that much. She told him where she was and they decided to meet at a nearby park.

Judy got there first and sat on a bench near a big tree which was providing a welcoming shade. The park was very small so she was sure that Nick wouldn't have problems finding her. The bunny was beginning to feel nervous, she re-read Nick's messages and couldn't keep the idea out of her head that they seemed serious, besides he hadn't suggested any plans so probably he wanted to talk about something.

To distract herself, she decided to text Fru Fru.

The shrew sent words of encouragement and comfort to the bunny which made Judy smile and calm down a little. Besides Nick, Fru Fru was her only true friend who she could really trust with personal problems. She loved spending time with her and she loved baby Judy, she only wished she could babysit more but unfortunately her schedule at work was a little hectic sometimes and there was always the issue that she was the daughter of Mr. Big.

Judy was very fond of her friend's father, but there was this unspoken agreement in which they knew they couldn't really hang out in public. Judy preferred not to know about his businesses (unless it was one of the legal ones) and Mr. Big didn't interfere with her work. They only really see each other at private parties but they always sent their love through Fru Fru.

The bunny was so lost in thought that she almost didn't hear steps approaching her from her right side. When she turned her head she saw Nick walking towards her. He looked like he normally did. He wasn't obsessed with vanity but he always took care of his fur and general appearance. The only difference is that he was carrying a bouquet of flowers in his paw.

He sat next to Judy so that they would be facing each other and cleared his throat.

"This are for you," he said extending his arm to offer the flowers to her.

"Thank you. They're lovely," Judy said sincerely but cautiously. She didn't want to jump into conclusions.

"I did a lot of thinking last night and most of this morning," the fox began looking at the ground. "I don't know if what you said last night was for real or not…"

"_Figures_," thought Judy amused.

"Anyway, whether you meant it or not, it got me thinking and I'm just going to say what's in my mind before my nerves get the best of me," he then looked at her in the eye and continued. "I think you're unlike any other mammal I've met before.

"You're smart, brave, kind," he then looked bashful and Judy noticed a blush in his ears. "Beautiful, sexy and just awesome. I can't explain what it is but there is just something that I find extremely irresistible about you and I know we're friends, we've told each other that, but I'd like to explore other possibilities. I was lying because I didn't think you would agree but I don't think it would be ridiculous. I don't think _us _would be ridiculous."

Judy had a big smile on her face, she didn't realized she had been holding her breath the whole time Nick spoke. She let out a big sigh that came with a little humming sound of content. She was lost of words so she took Nick's paw in hers and rubbed her thumb on his big knuckles. It was a small gesture but it encouraged the fox to continue.

"So, do you want to go out on a date?" he asked more confidently.

"I would love that very much." was her reply.

To the occasional bystander they looked like two idiots smiling at each other. Their faces comically happy.


	3. Chapter 3

They agreed on having their date right away since waiting a week for another day off would feel like torture, plus they did have the whole afternoon and evening ahead of them and it looked promising even without a plan.

They decided to skip lunch since Judy was still full from her brunch and Nick had had a late breakfast. Instead, they waited for an early dinner. In the meantime, they remained sat at the park bench talking about the previous night, more specifically the events before they left the bar together.

Both of them broke in laughter remembering their friend Benjamin dancing and singing all night. They somehow regretted not being at the precinct that day and missing the opportunity to tease the perky cheetah.

When it was starting to get a little dark, they left the park and took a cab to their favorite restaurant. A small trattoria that served both prey and pred food that, though it was located at the heart of Zootopia, it was also hidden in a small alley.

Judy thought that this was really no different from other nights she had spent with Nick. They were talking about work, sharing anecdotes from their past, eating at their usual place and not even dressed any different. However, there was a slight change in the air around them. Just the fact that she knew this was a date made the atmosphere more electrifying. The lingering looks, the lazy smirks and the constant touch of their paws really made a difference. It made her feel that this was the spice they had been needed.

"I think that since we're on a date," said Judy once they had finished their meals and were deciding on something sweet. "We should order a big dessert and share it."

"I never pictured you as the romantic type, Carrots," said Nick playfully sarcastically at her.

"C'mon, Slick!" pleaded Judy squishing his paw from across the table. "If we don't do it like that, it won't be any different than the other times we come get dinner."

"You feel it too, huh?" asked Nick while rubbing her paw with his thumb and raising his eyebrows a little.

"Yeah," she trailed off. "I mean, I'm thrilled that we are on a date. It does feel different. It just doesn't feel like…"

"Like a first date," Nick finished for her with a small smile and the bunny nodded. "I guess it makes sense. First dates are supposed to be for getting to know each other and I think we can agree we already know plenty about the other."

"Exactly!" agreed Judy. "It's like we're starting on the tenth date."

"Does that scare you?" Nick looked at her with a little concern.

"What? No, not at all," she said sincerely. "It's actually better. We know what we are getting into."

The fox in front of her smiled widely at her. It was so strange to see Nick get so nervous all of a sudden. She was used to seeing him being just him without any masks or walls but this was knew.

Now that she thought about it, if there was one thing Judy didn't know about her best friend/date was how he acted around girls. In all the time they knew each other, he had never gone out on a date, just like her.

They ordered a big slice of blueberry pie and just as per Judy's request, they shared it and even fed it to each other. More than a romantic gesture, it was a rather funny one. The pair of mammals wouldn't quit trying to get pie on their muzzles instead of in their mouths.

Later, after they left the restaurant, they were walking through Savanna Central, holding paws and Judy realized Nick had been staring at her.

"Do I have something on my face, Slick?" she asked him playfully. "What's the matter?" she added when he lowered his ears and looked away.

"It's gonna sound so stupid," he said. "But I just can't believe you agreed to go out with me. I'm just starting to realize that you have hinted me before, right? It wasn't just my imagination. You do like this fox." he gestured to himself.

"You're as dumb as the day is long," she teased in fun but then added more sincerely. "Of course I like you. I'm crazy about you, Nick."

This made the fox stop in his tracks. He took her other hand and pulled her closely looking at her straight in the eyes.

"You really mean that?" he asked seriously and Judy, hearing the rawness in his voice and seeing the tenderness in his eyes, didn't dare joke.

"Of course I do," she replied lowly but confidently and made the gap between the two even shorter. She noticed how Nick started to slowly lower his head and she instinctively was standing on her toes. "What about you?" she almost whispered. "Are you crazy about me?"

"I'm crazy in love with you."

And before the bunny had any time to react to his confession, he closed the gap between their faces and pressed his lips softly on hers. He let go of one of her paws and put his on the small of her back, pulling her even closer to him.

Judy rested her now free paw on his cheek and gave in into the kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

"I wish I didn't have to go," Judy heard Nick whisper in her ear.

It was a little after midnight. Nick and Judy had spent the last few hours of their date at the rabbit's place and were now laying on her bed. The lights were dim and for the first time since the bunny had moved in, there was a peaceful silence that allowed her to hear Nick's soft breathing.

After their first kiss, it had finally dawned on them that their relationship had evolved into something serious in a matter of seconds. They realized they weren't just dating.

Like Nick had said at dinner, dating was for getting to know each other and see if there's a spark that could initiate something. In their case, they knew there was a spark practically since the beginning of their friendship, they knew and trusted each other like no one else did and now they knew they were in love.

They were committed. They had jumped from friendship to a committed and serious relationship and they had done it willingly happily.

"Me too," replied Judy softly. "But it's OK, we'll see each other in a few hours."

"It's not soon enough," complained Nick with a little groan and placed a small kiss on Judy's forehead. "But I get it, we need to be rested for work and that's not gonna happen if I stay."

Begrudgingly, the fox got up the bed and put on his clothes. Judy put on her pajamas and saw him to the door. At the threshold, they shared one last kiss before Nick left.

The bunny, still blushing from the kiss and the previous events of the night, sighed deeply and danced like a ballerina to her bed and then let herself plummet on it. She took the pillow and buried her face on it, breathing the scent of her fox while remembering what was the best time of her life.

Before falling asleep, she took her phone. She had promised Fru Fru she would call her with "juicy details" (as the shrew had said) once her date was over but she decided it was too late for that so she typed a text.

_Date went great! Call you tomorrow after work._

She added all sort of happy emojis and sent the message to her friend.

Judy woke up next morning with a smile on her face. When she was getting ready for work, she got a text from Nick asking her if she wanted to meet her at Snarlbucks for coffee before the start of their shift. Judy quickly replied with a yes and headed out of her apartment.

The couple soon discovered a downside of being in public with a uniform. They couldn't act all lovey dovey like they wanted. A quick kiss hello or kiss goodbye was as far as they would go. They had talked about that the previous night and agreed that even when they would not keep their relationship a secret, they would also not talk about it with anyone unless they asked.

When they got to the precinct, Judy noticed something different. Everyone was looking concerned. Officers were talking, whispering and running from one side of the precinct to the other. She and Nick could feel the tension in the air.

They wanted to ask Clawhauser what was going on but the cheetah was on the phone looking very busy, answering more than one call at a time.

Judy looked at Nick to see if he had any idea of what was going on but the fox returned an equal questioning look.

They entered the bullpen and took their usual seat at the front of the room. Judy lowered her ears since the murmuring was too much. Nick asked Rhinowitz what was everyone talking about, Judy turned to hear the rhino's response.

"I'm just finding out, don't know all the details yet," said the big officer who was sitting next to them. "But apparently there was a massive homicide. Bogo is going nuts dealing with the press, they want to keep it from the public until they know what happened."

It had been a long time since Judy got her first homicide case but her training and preparation had made it somewhat easy to go through it. She saw Nick tense next to her. This was the first one for the fox.

The sergeant announced Bogo and the water buffalo came in the room with his usual imposing presence. After asking everyone to shut up, he turned to the board on the wall and started pinning some pictures of what Judy assumed was the homicide case.

The first picture she saw was clearly showing a big male polar bear with his fur all matted in blood. She took Nick's paw under the table for support and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Sorry," he said very softly so only she could hear him. "I've been dreading this since I first go in the academy."

Before Judy could speak, the booming voice of Bogo interrupted her train of thought.

"As some of you have heard already, there was an attack at the Big's mansion last night," he explained. "The bodies of Mr. Big and his family, along with fourteen employees were found this morning by one of the maids."

Judy gripped Nick's paw tightly. She felt a shiver going through her body and her blood went to her feet. She looked behind Bogo and saw the pictures of very small limp bodies laying on the floor.

_"The bodies of Mr. Big and his family…"_

She knew Mr. Big was a widower and had no siblings. The only family he had were his daughter and granddaughter.

She was numb. The room suddenly became smaller around her and she couldn't breathe anymore. She heard Nick's voice in the distance and felt how he pulled her arm to guide her outside the bullpen.

Nick took her outdoors so she could breathe. She could see his face bathed in concern. She hugged him from the waist and felt his paws rubbing her back and nape. Tears began flowing.

"Come, sit down," said Nick gently and they both sat on the stairs in front of the precinct.

Once she was able to calm down, they went inside the building to read the case file. They both avoided looking at the graphic pictures but read quietly the statement of the detectives who had attended the scene of the crime.

According to the file a rival criminal group broke into the mansion at around eleven o'clock at night. They killed several guards until they made it to Mr. Big's chambers where they killed him along her granddaughter, daughter, her husband and in-laws and their respective bodyguards.

The detectives had followed some clues that had led them to the rival group's "headquarters" and had made an arrest that morning. In less than twelve hours, Zootopia was freed from two of the biggest mob bosses that there ever was and Judy was fighting an internal war.

All of the officers at the precinct were talking about how, in spite of all the murders, the events would benefit the city and the people living in it and a part of Judy couldn't deny it. She felt guilty because a part of her agreed with them and she felt guilty because she also wished that had never happened.

The Bigs were gone for real, there was no family left to take over the business and she wondered if they would have to deal with a new, much worse crime boss.

She realized that Nick was also shocked. Not only was this his first look at a murder case but also the mammals involved had been close to him. She knew he didn't have many friends and, just like herself, he considered Mr. Big and Fru Fru family.

They went through their shift without talking about it. Nick would squish her paw when he saw her ears where droopy and she was thankful for having someone like him beside her. She definitely would feel much more devastated if it wasn't for her fox.

She felt the same way she did when one of her litter mates died many years ago of cancer. Judy had been very young but also old enough to understand what had happened. She and the rest of her litter mates had stay in their bedroom all summer crying for the loss of their sister.

She wished she could do the same now but knew it was not possible for her to stay shut up in her place for a while until the feeling of loss went away.

At the end of the day, they were walking to Judy's place. Nick was on the phone ordering some food since they hadn't eaten anything after they went for coffee in the morning. Judy had asked Nick to stay with her so the todd had packed a spare uniform. He had one arm over her shoulders and Judy was resting her head on him.

She took a look at the text she had sent Fru Fru the previous night. It felt like a long time ago she was that excited. She noticed how the message had been sent and received but not seen. _And it never will_, she sadly thought.

When they were in front of her apartment, Nick was already off his phone. She took her keys out and opened the door to be greeted with the sight of a huge polar bear crouching inside her room with tiny mammals on his paw.


	5. Chapter 5

If it wasn't for the fact that the duo recognized the identity of the polar bear inside her apartment, they would have freaked out even more. Judy identified the big mammal as Koslov, Mr. Big's personal bodyguard who until then, they assumed dead.

Judy's attention went to the bear's paw where she recognized he was holding a dull-looking mouse who Judy had met before at one of Mr. Big's fancy parties, he was one of the family lawyers, Joseph Moretti and he was holding… _a baby?_

"Judy!" The rabbit advanced two steps into her apartment (there wasn't any more space available) and extended a paw to take the sleeping baby. "I thought she was dead?" she whispered and her eyes started to well up. She glanced at the grey mouse and then at Koslov asking for an answer.

"Please come in and close the door behind you." Moretti asked Nick and the fox complied. Next second they were all cramped inside Judy's tiny place. There was literally nowhere to move, the scene looked almost comical.

"Are the rest of the Bigs alive?" asked Nick who was hugging his tail in front of him and was pressed against the wall.

"No," answered the lawyer with a sigh. "Miss Ricci and Mr. Koslov were the only survivors."

Judy looked at the baby she was holding in her paw. The little shrew looked even smaller than before.

"What happened?" she asked looking at the lawyer.

"We have a lot of things to talk about, Miss Hopps," said the mouse. "We'll tell you everything, but you two will have to forget about your badges while you hear it."

Both Nick and Judy nodded in agreement.

"But," said Judy quickly. "I'm not sure if this is the best place to talk. I mean, my neighbors are very nosy."

It was true but what had Judy worried the most was the claustrophobia she was feeling.

"Don't worry, Miss Hopps," said the lawyer. "We planned a way to lure them out of the building for a few hours. This is the safest place to talk."

"I guess, I'll start," oddly enough, Judy had forgotten about the polar bear in the room and was a little startled when he spoke, until then, Judy hadn't noticed the big mammal had some blood in his fur and some bandages.

The polar bear sighed and proceed to tell the events of the previous night. He told them how they got an alert of someone breaking into the mansion but then they were told the problem had been taken care of (as apparently it wasn't the first time that had happened).

Fru Fru had put her baby back in her crib and came downstairs to join the rest of the family for a talk about what had happened but it turned out that the whole thing had been a distraction to lure them out of the panic room and to give them a sense of false security.

When they realized they were coming for them, it was too late to secure the panic room again. Mr. Big had realized they were doom and ordered Koslov to take care of her granddaughter, so he ran upstairs. The opposite gang, who was composed of mostly lions and tigers, shot them with heavy machine guns and grenade them with rodenticide.

"Mr. Big always put his family first," said Koslov. "He had an emergency escape planned in case something like that would happen. The mansion had several hidden emergency exits so when I took the baby, I escaped using one of the tunnels that lead into the opposite part of town. Then, as protocol, I contacted Mr. Moretti."

"For security reasons, we had to declare the whole family dead," continued Moretti. "Including Miss Ricci, otherwise her life could've been in great danger."

"What's gonna happen now?" asked Judy who was starting to feel very hot and wished she could open her window.

"Well, that's the reason we are here, Miss Hopps," said the lawyer in a more businesslike manner while taking some paper out of a small briefcase. "You're Miss Ricci godmother and legal guardian. For now on, she will be in your custody."

Judy's mouth was hanging open.

"A-are you sure there's no other option?" she asked. She knew there were no more Bigs left but surely there should be someone left on the father's side (the Ricci side).

"Mr. Ricci was an only child and as you know he and his parents perished last night. There are no blood relatives left." Moretti said with finality and then he hesitated a little before he continued. "Of course she could go into Child Protective Services where they can find a place for her to stay and eventually a family that would take her, probably."

"No!" yelled Judy and almost woke up the baby, who began tossing. Judy rocked her softly and soothed her until she fell asleep again, then she continued. "I understand. I-I'll take care of her."

She felt Nick's paw on her back. He obviously had heard the fear in her voice. When she looked at him, he offered her a small smile and took her free paw in his. Judy squeezed it gently.

Judy hopped the meeting was over and was eager to sign any legal papers so they could leave and she could breathe freely again but after signing the custody of baby Judy, the mouse opened his briefcase again.

"Now we need to discuss Mr. Big's will," said the lawyer and took even more documents in his paw and began reading them.

Basically, the will stated that the shrew's fortune would be passed on to his daughter and in the case of her being "unavailable", the next living relative, which in this case was Judy Ricci, his granddaughter, would receive the inheritance. Mr. Big's fortune included bank accounts, businesses, properties and stocks. Moretti listed all of them before continuing to explain that also all of his employees or families would get a fair share.

In the case little Judy Ricci was still underage, all of these assets would be given to her once she became of age and meanwhile, the living parent or legal guardian would take care of her using his or her part of the will.

"Am I in Mr. Big's will?" asked Judy surprised.

"Yes," answered Moretti. "Mr. Big indicated that in the case of his daughter and son in law's death, the best prospects to take care of Miss Ricci and her inheritance would be her paternal grandparents but since they are death too and there is no other blood relatives, then you will be responsible. There is a sum of money that corresponds to you and another one that Mr. Big left for you whether you became the legal guardian or not."

Judy could not believe what she was hearing.

"And of course there was something for Mr. Wilde as well," he added. "Otherwise we would have asked him to leave since the beginning."

Nick's eyebrows raised up.

The mouse handed the fox an envelope and gave two to Judy. The rabbit's ones read Judith Laverne Hopps at the front. She opened the one that was marked with a number one and found it was a letter from Mr. Big:

_My Child,_

_If you're reading this, it means I'm gone. I only hope it is not in nasty circumstances that I left and that you don't find yourself in an uneasy situation._

Judy gave a deep sigh as Mr. Big's wishes could not be farther from reality.

_You're like part of the family. I owe you my daughter and my granddaughter's life and for that I will be eternally in your debt. Not only did you save them, but also you have been part of their lives and a great influence in them._

_I took the liberty to put an account under your name. A percentage of one of my businesses' profits goes to that account monthly and has been ever since you became Judy's grandmother. With this, I hope, you never find yourself in need of anything._

_My lawyer Mr. Joseph Moretti or one of his associates can give you all the details of this account and the business the money comes from. I only want to assure you, my child, that knowing you are a mammal of excellent integrity, this business is 100% legal. I would never do anything to put your reputation at risk._

_The only thing I ask you is to take care of my family and look out for them._

_I believe in you._

_With love,_

_Mr. Big._

Sobbing softly, she opened the second envelope and noticed it was another letter:

_My Judith,_

_I write this letter in hopes you never get to read it for it would mean that, not only am I gone, but also my dear Fru Fru and her husband and in-laws (who as you know, I love like blood relatives) are too._

_If you find yourself the much unfortunate circumstance of reading this letter, I first of all want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, for it would mean you have agreed to take care of my lovely granddaughter._

_As you probably already know, my little Judy has now inherit most of my fortune and assets. In the case she is still not of age, you will make sure that her investments are taken care of. Please do not worry since I have left a terrific group of lawyers taking care of everything and who will deliver you monthly information on everything so you can make sure my granddaughter's future (and yours) is safe._

_I'm afraid most of this money came from turbid businesses that I did in the past but as you know, I have dedicated the last years of my life to clean that money and leave the life of crime. I can assure you that nor your name neither my granddaughter's are to be involved in past negotiations._

The letter went on to advise her to ask any questions to Mr. Moretti and concluded with best wishes and love for her.

Moretti also told her that Mr. Big's former properties (except the mansion in Tundra Town) were already under Miss Ricci's name and Judy could make use of them as soon as she wished.

The lawyer gave Judy all sort of documents for her to sign and also he provided contact information of many mammals including himself so she could reach out to someone in case there were any doubts. He also handed her a bank card which was the one linked to her new account.

"It's has already been activated," the mouse said and showed her a paper with the PIN. "You can change it anytime."

Judy was still silently crying. She was feeling overwhelmed with everything that had happened in less than twenty four hours.

She and Nick stepped out of the apartment to let Koslov and Mr. Moretti out. Before they left, the polar bear looked at her and knelt to give her a piece of paper with a phone number.

"Please call me if you need anything, Miss Hopps," whispered the big mammal. "Whether is protection, information, a favor… or even babysitting. I'm your guy."

He gently rubbed the shrew's little head and left leaving Judy with a knot in her throat. She was very moved by the loyal gesture.

Judy and Nick, the former still with the baby on her paw, entered the rabbit's place and sat on her bed.

"I guess we need to talk, Nick," she said with a heavy heart.


	6. Chapter 6

"Before you say anything," interrupted Nick by putting a finger on her lips. "Let me just tell you how proud I am of you for taking this huge responsibility. You could have easily said no but you have a big heart."

"Oh, Nick," the bunny started to tear up again.

"I know what you're gonna say, Judy," said Nick in a defeated tone. "And I know why. You have a lot on your plate right now, you might need time to assimilate everything, and being in a relationship would only add more to it."

"That's not exactly what I wanted to say, Nick," said Judy. "Although, you're right but what I wanted to tell you is that my life is completely different from yesterday. I have to take care of many things without any clue on how to do it, including taking care of her," she pointed at the baby. "I love you, Nick. I love you with all my heart and I waited so long for us to be together but I can't drag you into this. It wouldn't be fair to you."

"Judy, I've known for a long time that I want to be with you for the rest of my life," Nick said taking her free paw in his and looking straight into her violet eyes. "This situation won't change that. It wouldn't be fair for us to give this up only because life gets in the way. I know you think you're doing the right thing by giving me an out and I appreciate it, but I don't want it."

"Are you sure you know what you're getting into?" asked Judy after a brief pause, sounding more convinced and starting to smile. "Like, we won't be able to date normally. She has to come first."

"You already sound like a mom," said Nick teasingly. "But believe me, Carrots. I want to be involved and I want to help you raise this little rascal."

"It's not going to be like the times you helped me babysit her, you know?"

"I know, Carrots," said the fox feigning being indignant while taking his cellphone to start taking notes. "Now, we have a lot of planning to do and many things to buy so this little one can eat, play, sleep and live properly. Are you going to stay in this place?"

Judy hadn't even thought about any that. Suddenly she felt like a weight had been taken off her shoulders. She still felt a little beaten emotionally but having Nick by her side made things look less frightening.

The food Nick had ordered before they got to the building arrived. Judy put the baby on a pillow next to her and started eating. She hadn't realized she was starving and probably that had affected her mood as well. By the looks of it, Nick was the same. They quickly finished their meal and Judy felt a lot better after it.

Nick offered to run to the small convenience store around the corner to buy food, diapers and other things for Little Judy. They had agreed they would be going shopping for a crib and other furniture the next day after Nick's shift. Judy had called the office and asked for a personal day so she could take care of moving into another place, which would be easy since she literally only had a suitcase. She just wanted to take a few hours of her morning to go talk to Chief Bogo about her situation.

She was a little anxious about that last part, she didn't know if Bogo would take things well and she feared she might lose her job, so to distract herself she took her cellphone, some documents she had gotten from Moretti and used Zoogle Maps to look at the location of the properties that now belonged to Little Judy.

With the Street View she was able to take a look at most of them. Some looked like houses big enough for elephants to live in, others appeared more _normal _meaning that they weren't mansions but still looked extra fancy. After a few minutes, she set apart two different possible places that looked suitable for her and Little Judy to live comfortable enough and also with sufficient space for Nick when he wished to crash.

She then took a look at the bank statement of her new account and almost fell off the bed when she saw the monthly amount was almost the equivalent of six months of salary of what she made in the force. The total in there was more than Judy could dream to spend in a lifetime.

She decided to also pay a visit to this business next day. Even when Mr. Big assured her in his letter that it was totally legal, she just wanted to talk to the accountant to see for herself.

By the time Nick arrived with the stuff for the baby, Little Judy had already woken up and was crying with all her strength. Judy was trying her best to soothe her, offering her food and toys that Nick brought, but it seemed that the shrew was missing her mother.

After what felt like hours, the little girl agreed to eat a little and drink some formula. A while later she fell asleep still sobbing in her sleep. Judy's heart was broken. She was gently rubbing the little shrew's head while singing a lullaby.

"It's just going to take a while before she gets use to this," said Nick and Judy saw his face was reflecting her sadness. He was sitting on her chair facing the bed.

"I'm scared, Nick," she confessed to the fox while getting up and sitting on his lap. She rested her head on his shoulder and rubbed his chest with a paw. "I'm scared I might screw this up."

Nick hugged her tightly and put his muzzle on top of her head.

"You won't, Judy," he encouraged. "Look, I have no doubt you can do this by yourself but I'm going to be there for you. Remember you are not alone."

"What if all this screws everything else up?" asked Judy. "What if Bogo fires me? Or what if our relationship can't handle the pressure?"

"If Bogo fires you, then he will lose two of the best officers in the ZPD," Nick said. "You didn't do anything wrong and he shouldn't punish you for that. If he does, I wouldn't stand the injustice."

"Nick…"

"I wouldn't mind, Carrots," he said quickly. "I love my job and I know you love it too, but we are more than just our jobs. We could still find a way to make the word a better place."

"You're right," said Judy smiling.

"And I totally think our relationship can handle whatever happens," added Nick. "It's you and me, Judy. I will love you no matter what."

"What did I do to deserve you?" Judy asked rhetorically and look up to see her fox's emerald eyes looking into hers.

"I ask myself the same question," Nick said and kissed his bunny deeply.


	7. Chapter 7

"So you're telling me that one of the biggest crime bosses in Zootopia put you in his will?" Bogo asked the rabbit sitting across his desk half in confusion and half in disbelief.

"Yes, sir," replied Judy trying to keep a calm face. "I wanted you to hear it from me."

"And may I know why would Mr. Big put you in his will?" the water buffalo asked still unsure if he wanted to believe her. He knew Judy was an honest, simple bunny from the countryside and would never mingle with the mafia. It didn't make sense.

"I was friends with him and his family," she said bluntly.

Before walking into Bogo's office Judy had decided to tell everything to her boss. She had thought about dancing around the true but figured it could get her into bigger problems later.

She noticed how Bogo changed his demeanor a little when he heard her. He must have been thinking about the graphic pictures he had shown in the bullpen the other day and understood why the bunny had reacted the way she did that day. He also seem upset. To the bunny it seemed like he was far from understanding what was going on.

"I'm sorry," he said taking a deep breath, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "But I don't understand Hopps."

"Well, you see. I saved Fru Fru's life, his daughter, and she and I became close friends. I'm actually the godmother of her daughter."

"You mean you were," said the dark gray buffalo.

The rabbit went on explaining how Judy Ricci was actually taken away before she could be hurt and how Mr. Big's lawyers made everything possible to declare her dead for her own safety. She also explained how she is now the legal guardian and has full custody of the baby meaning that she has the legal power to take care of former Mr. Big's assets and bank accounts that were left to his granddaughter, but Judy specified that all of them are completely legal now even if they weren't so in the past. She showed him the paperwork she had gathered from Mr. Big's accountants and Mr. Moretti prior to the meeting with her boss that morning.

"Sir, I can assure you I would never use this money for illegal purposes," she said. "I will not even touch it because it doesn't really belong to me. I will save it for when Little Judy becomes of age. It's her birthright."

Bogo glared at her after re-reading the baby's shrew name, probably putting two and two together and realizing she was named after the bunny officer. Then Judy saw his face turning even more serious.

"Did you ever _helped _Mr. Big in any way by using your power as an officer of the law?" asked Bogo after being quiet for a few moments.

"No, sir," she answered honestly.

"Did he ever helped _you _using his… means?" was the next question and Judy's stomach clenched.

"Yes, sir," she said with fear in her voice. "Twice."

She told her boss the circumstances in which she met Mr. Big. How he was about to ice her and Nick before finding out she had saved his daughter's life and how he had pointed her in the right direction to Mr. Manchas without asking anything in return.

"Well that really doesn't sound too bad," he said before raising an eyebrow. "And the second time?"

"He actually threaten to ice Duke Weaselton if he refused to give me information about the Nighthowler case," she said after clearing her throat.

Bogo sighed deeply. Clearly that was bad. She had put in the official statement of the Nighthowler Case that Duke Weaselton had given her the information that led her to Doug Ramses and his lab, but she had never told anyone about how Mr. Big had sent someone to collect the weasel and _persuaded _him to talk. When she told this to Bogo, he didn't look happy.

"But I wasn't a police officer at the time," she added. "I did that as a civilian."

That didn't sound much better.

"How can you put me in this position, Hopps?!" said the buffalo hitting the table with his fist and making Judy jump. "You are supposed to be my good officer. I use you as example when I berate others."

Judy just stayed quiet with her ears behind her back, not daring to look at Bogo in the eye.

"I'm not going to do anything about it, Hopps," said Bogo after a long silence. "Mr. Big is dead and by the looks of everything you are not involved in any criminal activity."

Judy felt relief wash down her body.

"But," he continued. "If any of this information reaches the press, I will expect your resignation. The ZPD can't handle more bad publicity."

She knew that if word leaked out Bogo would be pressured into asking for her badge so she was not surprised.

"Also," he added. "Not a word to anyone."

When she left the chief's office she found Nick waiting for her outside with Little Judy in his paw. He had clearly listened to everything, probably just waiting to make his entrance in case she was let go.

They hugged for a little while. Judy's heart rate slowing down after being accelerated due to the emotion of talking with the chief.

Nick had asked for the rest of the day off to help _the Judies_ move into their new place which was close from work. Judy really didn't need any help. She had already talked to Moretti that morning and he had suggested an apartment which would suit her sizewise and had already arranged for a company to make it "small size friendly". He had even arranged a few interviews for possible nannies for Little Judy. The rabbit was going to meet with them in the afternoon to choose one.

Nick, besides providing moral support, was going to go with them shopping for groceries and whatever they would need.

They stopped by the new apartment which was really a penthouse. Unlike the Big's Mansion, which was full with antiques and art, this one was modest in the sense that it looked more modern and minimalistic. The walls were white and the furniture black with glass and iron finishes. The kitchen was part of the dinning area which was separated from the living room by a half wall and there was a half bathroom near the living room.

There were already some workers there, doing modifications to accommodate rodents.

"Kind of like your own Little Rodentia in here." had joked Nick.

Everything looked like it had been just bought. Apparently no one had lived there and Judy wondered what was the purpose of having a place like this and never use it. She walked down a hallway which led to the three bedrooms and a bathroom.

The main room had a bed, nightstands and a dresser plus a walk in closet and its own bathroom. The other two rooms were empty.

Fortunately, the size was not too bad. A little big for a bunny and obviously extremely big for a shrew, but they could manage.

Judy spoke with the mammal in charge of the renovations and was impressed to find out that they were going to have everything ready by the evening. They were going to install a bathroom and a kitchen which was going to be used by the future nanny. The rest of the baby's furniture would be put in Judy's room.

Feeling less stressed out, she and Nick took care of the rest of the pending matters. By the end of the day the apartment was ready in every sense of the word. The kitchens were full of food, the bathrooms had toiletries and towels, the main bedroom now had a nice set of blankets and Judy had bought rugs, cushions, candles, plants and flowers that were now distributed around the place making it more cozy and warm.

There were still many things that were needed to make it feel like a real home, but it was a great start.

Judy was now calling one the nannies that she and Nick had interviewed earlier that day. It hadn't been a difficult decision picking up one of them. Only three shrews had showed up and one of them left right after taking a look at the fox and the bunny and saying she would never work for a "non-conventional" family.

Judy gave Mrs. Miller, the nanny they had chosen, the good news and asked her to show up early tomorrow.

While the rabbit was at it, Nick was putting Little Judy in her new crib and watching her fall asleep. Judy joined him and watched how the little shrew's breathing got deeper and slower. It had been an exciting day for her since she was almost able to walk by her own. Judy had let out a big squeal when her little namesake was able to walk three steps before falling on her butt. Nick on the other paw, had thought her how to do high five (or the closet to a high five they could do).

They moved to the living room, and were sitting on the big black sofa which was now adorned with cushions of different bright colors. Judy's legs were extended across it and her hind paws were resting on Nick's lap.

"You did it, Carrots," Nick praised her while massaging one of her hind paws. "You got through the first day."

"Only because you were there with me," she said smiling at him. "Seriously Nick, thank you."

Nick only smiled at her and switched to her other hind paw.

"Mmmmm," hummed Judy. "That feels good."

Nick cleared his throat after watching her enjoy the massage he was giving her.

"So, are you too tired or…?" he trailed off giving her a look with raised eyebrows.

Judy, reading his intentions, retrieved her legs and crawled towards the fox pushing him gently until he laid down on the couch.

"I'm never too tired for my fox." she said with a meaningful look and a soft smile on her lips and leaned down for a kiss.

Judy wished the kiss would never end. The emotions and sensations that were swirling through her body made it hard to focus on anything else but Nick and the moment they were sharing.

She really didn't know what would be of her if it wasn't for Nick and his constant support. She couldn't help but think that they were now a family, a really "non-conventional family" like she had been told earlier. They hadn't talk about it and she didn't want to put more pressure on them by bringing it up, but there was no doubt in her mind that the fox laying underneath her wouldn't mind it at all.

She would do everything that was possible to make him the happiest mammal on Earth, because at that moment that's how she was feeling.


	8. Chapter 8

I decided to continue with this story and maybe finish it before the end of the month (if everything goes right). I kinda lost my inspiration and track of where I wanted the story to head, but now I think I can give a nice ending to it. Thanks to everyone who haven't forgotten about it!

It took Judy about three months to decorate and furnish the apartment in a way she was finally comfortable with and three more months to get used to living there with Little Judy. More than once the rabbit had found herself walking in the direction of her old apartment after leaving work just to turn and head in the right direction, luckily that didn't happen anymore.

Mrs. Miller had been a huge help in her life not only because she watched Little Judy, but because she cooked for her and took care of the needs of the little shrew in a way Judy couldn't because of her size.

Koslov, on the other hand, was hired as a bodyguard although his biggest duty was as a chauffeur. Judy couldn't think of even looking for a different mammal for the role of security when she and Nick were not around.

Everyday she would get home, thank Mrs. Miller for her help, see her out and basically dedicate her evening to her goddaughter. The little one had already learned to walk and was beginning to talk. She was a handful and more often than not left Judy feeling more tired than when she did a double shift at the ZPD.

She didn't mind though. The bond they already had grew stronger for obvious reasons. In fact, it looked like Little Judy had already forgotten about her real family. Judy didn't want that to happen and had framed several pictures of them that she showed to the toddler everyday. The rabbit knew those pictures probably didn't mean anything to her right now but once her goddaughter was old enough, she would talk to her about them and maybe at the right time explain to her what happened to her parents and grandparents.

Those were conversations that she didn't want to think about right now.

On the weekends, Nick would stay over regardless if they had to go to work or not. Judy noticed that her little namesake would be even more cheerful than normal when Nick was around. The fox was great with her in every aspect whether the three of them were playing, learning something new or just watching a kid's show, the little shrew always seem happier to have both of them with her.

Judy had thought about asking Nick to move in with them permanently but was afraid to do it. Even when Nick had told her countless times that she was the love of his life and he wanted to be with her forever, she still considered it a big deal and didn't want her fox to feel pressured. She felt bad enough that because of her, they only went out on dates once every two weeks or when Mrs. Miller could stay overnight to be with Little Judy. But then again, it looked like Nick didn't really care about the way they were dating. He had been so supporting and understanding throughout the whole process of adapting to her new life that she couldn't bring herself to ask for what seemed like more from him.

That's why she felt very surprised when she was the one who brought it up during dinner at her place one Saturday night. Maybe it was the fact that she really, really wanted to be with Nick everyday or maybe it was because she was a selfish mammal and wanted more from the poor fox.

Whatever her intentions were, she was even more surprised to hear the fox's response.

"I'm not sure that would be the best idea, Carrots," he said looking at his plate, fidgeting with his fork.

Judy felt a pinch in her stomach that wasn't related to her food at all. It was obvious to her that Nick didn't want to take that step because why would he?

"I understand," she said trying not to sound so beaten. "It's a lot to ask. I'm sorry."

"No," Nick said.

She was confused when she looked up at him and saw his serious expression. He sighed sounding frustrated, put his fork down and looked at her.

"Judy, I can't move in with you if you keep looking at me like that," he said and then when he saw her face full with confusion, he continued. "You look at me as if you're afraid of losing me to every minor detail. We've been dating for six, wonderful may I add, months and I've had the best time of my life, but everytime you ask something from me, no matter how little it is, you handle it with kid gloves. I'm not going to run away or feel overwhelmed if you ask a favor from me, you know? We can't live together if you think I'm doing it out of pity."

The rabbit thought about it for a few seconds. Was she making a big deal out of nothing? It was true that she tried to ask as little as possible from him and it was true she felt guilty but it never occurred to her that he'd be not ok with that. Of course it was silly to blame herself for something Nick was doing willingly. If he had a problem he could have easily walk away at any time. But he had chosen to stay with her knowing well what he was getting into. Judy felt so silly a chuckle escaped her throat.

"You're right," she told him not caring about filtering her words anymore but still looking down afraid of not being able to speak if she looked at him. "I want you to move in with us because you bring light into this place, Nick. I… _we _are happier with you around. I love it when you stay here because it feels like we're a family and when you go back to your place is as if an important part of ourselves goes with you and I hate it. When you're not here this place doesn't feel as homely.

"If you feel like it's too soon or that you're not ready I'll totally understand but if you want to live here with us, I'll know you'll be doing it because you want to and not because you feel pressured."

When she looked at him he was smiling widely. The same kind of smile he gave her when she was once putting his police badge on his chest for the first time.


End file.
